Don't let the seedings fool you. This matchup promises to be much closer than anyone would have projected before the tournament began.

Having reeled off three straight wins in the Big Dance, the 11th-seeded Volunteers will be dangerous underdogs on Friday. Second-seeded Michigan is a two-point favorite thanks to its impressive overall body of work and shooting prowess, but Tennessee's strength on the boards and physicality on the interior should make things interesting.

ESPN.com's Myron Medcalf pinpoints Tennessee's size and strength advantage as the No. 1 reason he likes the Volunteers to spring the upset in Indianapolis:

The Wolverines have the most talented trio of wings -- CarisLeVert, Glenn Robinson III and NikStauskas -- in the field. They can hit 3-pointers and run the floor. But Tennessee is built for this matchup. The Vols have big guards in Josh Richardson, Antonio Barton and Jordan McRae. And JeronneMaymon and Jarnell Stokes will be a handful for the undersized Wolverines inside. Tennessee, meet the Elite Eight.

While Medcalf crafts a convincing argument, Michigan has been the more explosive and consistent of the two teams over the course of the season. It is favored for a reason.

Like each of Friday's matchups, this game could truly go either way and will likely come down to the wire, but it's hard to pick against a Michigan team that reached the national championship a year ago and ranks 21st in the nation in team field-goal percentage.

In perhaps the biggest tossup of Friday night, third-seeded Iowa State will look to get past seventh-seeded Connecticut, which finds itself in a similar scenario but with a different man leading the charge in second-year head coach Kevin Ollie.

Fred Hoiberg's Cyclones are without Georges Niang, who suffered a broken foot in the second round, but Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane are more than capable of carrying the load, as they showed in their third-round win over No. 6 North Carolina.

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At 6'4", Kane is an explosive guard who can shoot the three or drive to the rim and finish strong through and over defenders.

Naz Long will also be an X-factor for Iowa State. The sophomore reserve hit four three-pointers against the Tar Heels and can provide instant offense off the bench.

Look for Iowa State, the sixth-highest-scoring team in the country, to light up the scoreboard yet again in a victory over the Huskies.

Friday's most anticipated Sweet 16 matchup by far will be No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 8 Kentucky at the top of the Midwest Region bracket.

Former Louisville head coach Denny Crum believes the matchup is fitting for the Cardinals, who have won eight straight NCAA tournament games since 2013, per the Associated Press, via the Boston Herald:

It's a rival game and it means moving on to the next level in the NCAA tournament, getting to the round of eight and having a chance to make it to a Final Four again. That's the biggest motivation. Sure, it's a rival game, but that's just part of it. Both want to win, and that's the way it should be.

The two in-state rivals have met once already this season, with the young and talented Wildcats earning a seven-point win over the Cardinals in Lexington back on Dec. 28. This time around, though, Rick Pitino's defending national champions are in the midst of a seven-game winning streak.

Like many analysts, Medcalf likes Louisville to prevail. However, he's willing to go a step further, predicting that the Cardinals will cruise into the Elite Eight comfortably, winning by double digits:

I wasn’t impressed by Louisville’s opening weekend (wins over Manhattan and Saint Louis), but I believe that the Cardinals recognize they had more to give in both games. And they’ll prove it with a double-digit win over Kentucky. More experience. More balance. Rick Pitino’s 11-0 record in the Sweet 16. (Calipari is 5-1 against Louisville since arriving at Kentucky, though.) This game won’t live up to the hype. Russ Smith & Co. will pressure the young Wildcats for 40 minutes and avenge an earlier loss against Kentucky.

It's highly unlikely that this game will end in a blowout, but there's no doubt Louisville has earned its favorite status and the respect of college basketball fans everywhere.

East Region: No. 4 Michigan State (-2) Over No. 1 Virginia

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Friday's final Sweet 16 showdown will pit one of the nation's most dynamic offenses in Michigan State against the country's top-ranked defensive unit in Virginia.

Despite entering as the No. 1 seed in the East Region, Tony Bennett's Cavaliers will be slight underdogs when they take the court inside Madison Square Garden.